We are one day closer to the October 5 deadline to register to vote for this upcoming civic election in which unfortunately, our Houston human rights law was forced onto the ballot by partisan GOP politics.

The HERO haters are desperately attempting their fear and smear tactics in their last ditch effort to try to hoodwink and bamboozle people into voting against their own civil rights.

56% of the discrimination complaints received by the Houston office of the Inspector General since the passage of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance on May 28, 2014 have been race related with another 17% of the complaints received by the OIG have been based on sex.

And the ongoing discriminatory mess with the Gaslight Club has shown a bright spotlight on why the City of Houston needs a local remedy to deal with local discrimination since the state of Texas does not have a non-discrimination law, federal law does not cover everyone, and filing federal anti-discrimination lawsuits is expensive and time consuming... .

Rather than wait for Houston Unites to come up with an action plan for discussing HERO, Black Houston activists concerned about th lack of action in our communities have begun to mobilize and do the work necessary to deliver affirmative votes for it from our neighborhoods.

They have started the African Americans For Prop 1 Facebook page in order to provide a rapid response to anti-HERO lies, tell the truth about what HERO does, and provide information about upcoming events in the Houston Black community.

The bottom line is that the HERO oppostion has been since last May disseminating lies about HERO unchallenged. This election will probably be decided in Black neighborhoods, and we must get accurate information to our people to counteract the right wing lies.

South Carolina trans teen Chase Culpepper was recently in the news when she finally got the opportunity to take her feminine driver's license photo that was denied her in March 2014 by a transphobic SCDMV employee.

Now comes word that the 17 year old is one of the five finalists for homecoming queen at T L Hanna High School in Anderson S.C. She was selected as one of the five finalists in a school wide vote of the student body, and at this Friday's 2:30 PM EDT pep rally will be introduced along with the rest of the homecoming court.

The winner will be revealed during halftime of TL Hanna's game with Easley HS on Friday.

Congratulations on being voted onto your school's homecoming court, and hope you are named the queen.

While I can think of a few people who probably should have gotten it before I did, I'm not complaining about the blessing of making some more trans history. I'm confident that some of my African-American trans contemporaries who have also toiled long and well in advancing the human rights of our community will get their well deserved Fantasia Fair day in the sun.

I'm also looking forward to seeing my mentor Dainna Cicotello, Laurie Cicotello and other veteran leaders like Dallas Denny, Marisa Richmond, Denise Norris, Dr Jillian Weiss, and Miqqi Alicia Gilbert just to name a few along with the Fantasia Fair attendees who see me as one of those iconic leaders.

Also looking forward to finally meeting another trailblazer in Bold and the Beautiful actor Scott Turner Schofield. So want to talk to him as a fan of B&B about that groundbreaking trans storyline

And yeah, you know I'll be live tweeting and reporting on much of what happens this year at Fantasia Fair 2015.

'So when Stonewall the whitewashed trans history erasing movie comes out, save your hard earned T-bills. Just say no to erasure and whitewashing of the undeniable trans and person of color influence in what went down on a sultry June 1969 night that changed the course of American history and started a human rights movement,'
-TransGriot, August 5, 2015

Roland Emmerich's Stonewall opened last weekend, and it not only received overwhelmingly negative reviews, it spectacularly tanked at the box office. It made only a measly $112,414 from 127 theaters.

Heh, heh, heh. Looks like the movie going public and the critics have spoken. The disaster film king made a real life cinematic disaster, and Emmerich needs to stop trying to make excuses for it..

Note to Hollywood, next time don't be so quick to erase people of color and trans folks from an event we helped jump off. If you had centered the movie around the real life history of it, the money you made would have been exponentially more than the paltry sum you did make on opening weekend.

The Stonewall Rebellion was not a planned Fire Island gay action as the movie tried to depict it as. It was a spontaneous reaction by trans people, butch lesbians, drag queens and other denizens of the Stonewall Inn on that sultry June 1969 night fed up with repeated harassment from the NYPD as the Fire Island gays cowered in their closets.

The historical record backs that up.
The gay rights revolution was jumped off by the peeps the Fire Island 'good homosexuals' reviled and who had nothing to lose by fighting the powers that be.

Deal with it.

Hollywood has done many movies based on historical events, most recently Selma. and for the most part they stayed true to the historical story while taking mild dramatic license with it.
Stonewall was a straight up crime against history that could not be allowed to stand, because it sought to erase trans people and people of color from the seminal historical event they jumped off.

It's also not an accident that white gay men like Larry Kramer rushed in to try to defend the indefensible erasure. Who's crazy now, Larry?

As the child and godchild of historians and heir to that distinguished legacy of trans activism, I'm doing the happy dance because Stonewall tanked at the box office.

Next time you want to do a movie about an TBLG historical event Hollywood, ground it in the actual history of the event you're trying to put on the silver screen..

One of the reasons I'm more than pissed off about the lack of pushback in Black Houston over the lies the HERO opposition and their kneegrow sellouts are telling about our local civil rights law is because the people who are being negatively affected by the current status quo non-coverage situation are people of color.

Specifically, women of color.

56% of the HERO complaints are not only race related, but the next highest category of complaints logged by the Houston Office of the Inspector General who would be tasked with investigating them are sex discrimination at 17%.

Even the two high profile trans discrimination cases that have occurred in H-town also fit that pattern. The Izza Lopez one in 2006 and the Leyth Jamal one in 2012 not only happened inside the Houston city limits. but happened to Latina and Black trans women.

And yes, the increasingly infamous Gaslamp nightclub has also aimed their reprehensible anti-Black hatred at Black women.

This continuing cesspool of discrimination, by the way, would have had a local remedy to deal with it if HERO hadn't been screwed with by the Harris County Republican Party, the all GOP Texas Supreme Court, and out of town activists messing with Houston human rights business.

“The Houston Association of Realtors sees HERO as an extension of the Code of Ethics to which licensed Realtors must adhere each day to ensure the fair and ethical treatment of all real estate consumers,” said HAR Chair Nancy Furst. “Our 31,000-member association respects and celebrates Houston’s diverse population, and we believe HERO complements the Realtor commitment to conduct business without discrimination of any kind.”

In voting to support HERO, the HAR board recognized that similar equal rights laws are on the books in more than 200 U.S. cities, including Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio, and 17 states, and have not resulted in any reports of increased public safety problems. The board concluded that the anti-discrimination measure “promotes a healthy business climate throughout Houston.”

It joins other heavyweight H-town business associations in the Greater Houston Partnership, The Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Hotel and Lodging Association of Greater Houston in urging YES votes to keep HERO.

Monday, September 28, 2015

My trans brothers have been asking me why I haven't been covering the news from their half of the community lately, and they have a point. I do need to do a better job of it since I have the only continuous publishing blog dealing with trans issues from an African-American trans perspective.

And covering trans issues from an African-American perspective means I not only need to cover the stuff that happens on the trans feminine end, it also means I need to cover the issues and developments on the trans masculine end, too.

But you trans brothers also need to step up and let Moni know what's happening, and what you think I need to be talking about that you think needs to be brought to our attention for a wider discussion across Trans World.

Commentary over, now let's segue to what this post is about.

This weekend in the ATL the FTM Fitness World Conference will be taking place October 1-3 at the Ramada Plaza -Downtown Atlanta (Capitol Park) with the 2015 theme of The Warrior Within You.

The event was founded by Neo Sandja with the goal of bringing the trans community and trans masculine men together who want more out of life through workshops, activities, exhibits, partnerships, networking and entertainment.

It also made a little history in the process. In 2014 The FTM Fitness Conference hosted the first ever bodybuilding competition for men of trans experience.

The FTM Fitness World Conference has two goals, The first one is to embrace diversity by focusing on what unites us instead of what separates us and bridging the gap between us based on age, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, religious affiliation and more.

The second one is to empower our community. It seeks to do so by inspiring attendees to push for excellence while rejecting mediocrity. It wishes to inspire attendees to be the change they wish to see in their local communities and realize they possess the tools to succeed in every area of their lives while focusing on what united the trans community.

The emcee of this year's event will be my lovely Houston homegirl Diamond Stylz, and keynote speakers will not only include FTM Fitness World Con founder Neo Sandja, but also Dr. Kortney Ziegler, Ryan Salinas, Tracee McDaniel, and Buck Angel,

And yes, the 2nd annual FTM Fitness World Bodybuilding Competition will be a part of this year's event.

One of the things I am most proud of as a trans elder is watching the new generation of trans peeps achieve things that we elders could only dream about.

I've been able to see in my time in this community trans people do everything from work in the White House to become New York Times best selling authors to entrepreneurs

Another area my sisters have excelled at for decades is strutting the world's fashion runways, and was happy to hear the new from soon to be birthday girl Isis (October 1) about being in the latest issue o Supermodels Unlimited magazine.

Keep telling y'all this generation of trans peeps would continue to excel and exceed what we were able to do in terms of pushing the envelope of acceptance of trans people while accomplishing their dreams.

Congrats Sis! Happy early birthday and hope that next time you are featured on the cover of Supermodels Unlimited magazine and not just in it.

We're creeping closer to not only the deadline to get registered to vote in this 2015 city election, but also the October 19 first day of early voting.. If you haven't registered to vote yet, you have until October 5 to do so.

The latest attempt to put a fresh coat of lipstick on the same discredited anti-trans lie the anti-HERO peeps have been telling came in a recorded commercial coming from former Houston Astro lance Berkman.

And whatever respect I had for Berkman died when those anti-trans lies hit the air.

"I'm the father of two wonderful little girls and spent years a a major league pitcher. As a dad, I would do anything to protect my daughters., As a major league ball player Lance Berkman does not speak for me, or any of the other fair minded guys in baseball. Berkman's comments don't reflect the facts. Proposition 1 will not allow men in women's bathrooms. It simply allows everyone to work hard and be treated fairly, no matter who they are, and that includes transgender people."

FYI, Section 28.20 of the Houston City Code of Ordinances is already on the books to deal with people who wish to go into bathrooms to commit criminal acts

The pro-HERO side is hitting back, and while I still have major problems with the slow response of Houston Unites to combat the negative media, they have released a TV commercial that is on air
But where the need is most critical is on Black radio and doing canvasing work in Houston's Black neighborhoods. We also need to have trans POC people speaking uninterrupted against the lies of ou predominately Black faux faith based opposition.

And why hasn't Houston Unites deployed this gem from last year's HERO fight of suburban pastor Becky Riggle stating she has a 'right to discriminate'?

Hey love y'all, just asking the question that needs to be asked. This is civil rights malpractice to not use this

It was Becky and Steve's Grace Community Church that hosted the hate rally that Mike Suckabee Huckabee came to H-town for and CM Michael Kubosh made the statement that 'God put him on city council to oppose the HERO'

And why wouldn't you get Cassandra Thomas' video testimony from those HERO council hearings that emphatically debunks their predator lies?

Handle your human rights business Houston Unites. Prove me wrong that you aren't as I and other Houston Black LGBT people and our allies distressingly see you as in terms of rerunning the 2008 Cali Prop 8 defense campaign.

Saturday, September 26, 2015

When I lived in Louisville, the house I lived in with my roomies was across the street from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and one of my bedroom windows faced that cesspool of anti-LGBT bigotry.

Did the SBC invite Keith Ablow and Dr. Paul McHugh to attend this anti-trans hatefest too?

Looks like they'll be plotting their next steps in how to attack the trans community at this event now that they have lost on marriage equality and need somebody else to organize, attack and rally their flocks around.

There's a reason SBC church membership and attendance has dropped over the last 20 years, and this is just another example of the Southern Baptists century and a half history of being on the wrong side of human rights issues.

Too bad I'm not still living across the street from it, I'd be protesting it when it happens.

So when October 5 rolls around on the calendar for this reprehensible event, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that my liberal progressive colleagues in Da Ville are giving the assembled faith based haters a proper Kentucky welcome.

Friday, September 25, 2015

If you're an HIV + trans or gender variant person and haven't taken this groundbreaking survey yet, better get moving on it.

Today is the last day you can take the survey that it is hoped will provide a clearer picture of the needs of our trans and gender family living with HIV and AIDS and drive policy better calibrated to their needs.

The survey is available in English and Spanish, and once taken, you can also get yourself entered in a drawing for the eight Visa gift cards that will be given away valued at $250, $100, or $50 dollars.

Without the needed data, you don't exist to government agencies, the government and funders, so if you haven't done so, please take a moment to click on this link and complete the survey.

We are creeping close to some critical dates in our ongoing battle to keep HERO here in H-town, and need to point them out.

October 5 is the last day to register to vote for the upcoming November 3 election. So if you haven't registered to vote and wish to participate in the mayoral election and vote YES for Prop 1, then you need to bust a move and handle your electoral business.

The other critical date is October 19, which is the first day of early voting, and continue until Friday October 30.

I also had the delicious pleasure of watching karma kick HERO hatin' mayoral candidate Ben Hall in the behind. The Harris County Republican Party finally threw this useful fool under the bus and stared calling him out not only for his previous HERO support, but being a sustaining Democratic Party member who has made large contributions to Democratic Party candidates

Couldn't happen to a nicer sellout.

This is also the first TV commercial from Houston Unites, the umbrella coalition that is fighting to keep HERO in the Houston Code of Ordinances.

Nice commercial, but not enough to combat the toxic anti-trans rhetoric being pimped by the other side and is their only play to defeat HERO.

Last night I had the pleasure of being interviewed by local political blogger Charles Kuffner about mine and other Black SGL leaders concerns about the alarming lack of outreach to Houston's Black media and lack of canvassing in Black neighborhoods that will probably decide this election

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, Wednesday naked the first day of the fall equinox, which was hard for us to tell in Houston because it hit 90 degrees for our high temp that day.

For my Aussie readers and everyone in the Southern Hemisphere, it was the first day of spring.

But eventually the temps will start cooling down in H-town as the days get shorter and I'm at the point I'm walking around in shorts on Christmas Day as y'all further north are freezing your azzes off.

It's Friday, so let's go straight to our usual TransGriot business and call out fools.

Hope there is an opening in their graphics department after this inexcusable screw up.

Honorable mention number two is the Tom Joyner Morning Show for engaging in gleeful on air transphobia while discussing what happened to trans woman Shadi Petosky at the Orlando airport.

It isn't the first time that the TJMS has been guilty of on air transphobia, and they need to realize that some of the 11 million people who tune in to the TJMS are Black trans peeps,our allies and the people who love us and I said this after calling them out about that 2013 incident.

I like a good joke from time to time, enjoy some of the TJMS bits that happen on the show along with your commentators thought provoking commentary that sometimes inspires my TransGriot posts. But belittling or joking about trans peoples lives doesn't help especially when we are struggling to gain human rights coverage and have our humanity respected. '--TransGriot June 19, 2013
That was true in 2013, and it's even more important now.
.
Honorable mention mention three is a group award for every conservafool who has attacked Pope Francis while he has been in the US telling the truth about them. As Shepard Smith said on FOX Noise recently "Those angered by the pope's call for caring about the poor and the environment should consult a mirror."

Honorable mention number four is rapper Waka Flocka Flame, who let loose some transphobic comments during a recent radio interview. What boo boo kitty, you mad because the local trans women won't give you the time of day? You flapping your gums like you did won't help that situation.

Honorable mention number five is Kanye West, who opened his mouth and let something stupid fly out of it again by saying Ben Carson is 'brilliant'.

As a neurosurgeon, no doubt about it. As a politician? Hell naw.

Honorable mention number six is Minister Louis Farrakhan, who opened his mouth and made the comment that it was Jay Z's duty to make Beyonce cover up.

SMH.

This week's runaway SUF loser winner is Martin Shkreli, the former hedge fund manager that runs Turing Pharmaceuticals. He bought the rights to the 62 year old drug Daraprim and jacked up the price 4000% overnight on a lifesaving drug that treats parasitic infections for cancer and HIV/AIDS patients.

Until Turing Pharmaceuticals bought the rights to Daraprim, it cost $18 a pill. The price was raised to $750 a pill for one that he admitted in a Bloomberg interview costs $1 to make.

“We needed to turn a profit on the drug,” Shkreli said. “The companies before us were just giving it away… the price of a course of treatment to save your life was only $1000 and we know, these days, cancer drugs can cost $100,000 or more.”

What was Shkreli's reaction when the outrage started? "Daraprim is still underpriced relative to its peers."

Thursday, September 24, 2015

It takes a few weeks to sort out which teams in any given season are going to be contenders and which ones will be pretenders.

But I'm still not liking my slow start out of the NFL prognostication gate Neither am I liking the slow starts of my fave NFL team. The last two weeks they have put themselves in a hole, then start playing hard in the second half only to lose by a touchdown. They came within 20 yards an a overthrown Ryan Mallet pass to DeAndre Hopkins of tying the game against the Panthers. .

But close only counts with horseshoes, hand grenades and nuclear weapons, and the Texans find themselves along with the Cols on the wrong end of the AFC South division race with an 0-2 record looking up at the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Traitors.

Like my fave NFL footballers. I'm on the wrong end of this prognostication competition, and it's time to straighten that out. Mike and Eli tied for Week 2 honors. Have another sixteen games to get that right and try to win a week.

Week 2 Results2015 Season Record

TransGriot 8-8 TransGriot 17-15
Mike 9-7 Mike 20-12
Eli 8-8 Eli 18-14

NFL Week 3 (Home team in CAPS)

Thursday Night
Washington over GIANTS

Sunday Noon
Bengals over RAVENS
BROWNS over Raiders
PANTHERS over Saints
Falcons over COWBOYS
TEXANS over Buccaneers
Colts over TITANS
PATRIOTS over Jaguars
VIKINGS over Chargers
JETS over Eagles
Steelers over RAMS

Halloween is five weeks away, and it's time to remind you white peeps early to just say no to blackface. Doing so is NOT 'cool, hip, or edgy' it's straight up racist.

So spare yourself the easily avoidable drama and find characters and people from your own culture to emulate this October 31. My culture and my people are not costumes for you to put on for your amusement.

But I'm willing to bet some arrogant vanillacentric privileged fool will ignore this advice and find themselves in a media caca storm for doing exactly what I'm warning them not to do.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

While I was in Washington DC, I discovered that I was staying a mere two blocks from St. Matthew's Cathedral, where Pope Francis is scheduled to have a private prayer event at noon with the US bishops. St. Matthew's Cathedral FYI was where President John F. Kennedy's funeral was held after his assassination in 1963.

St. Matthew's Cathedral is also two blocks down Rhode Island Ave NW from HRC headquarters. After I noticed in the waning moments of a Thursday #OOTH2015 panel discussion news cameras rolling up and taking shots of the side of the headquarters building, I went outside and noticed this huge banner hanging on the side of the building facing St. Matthews.

While the media and many people are going gaga over Pope Francis and think he is this progressive figure vis a vis Pope Benedict in the Catholic Church, frankly I and some of my trans kindred aren't feeling him and the hoopla surrounding the pontiff's trip and today's stop in Washington DC.

While I agree with Pope Francis on some of the things he has called out, I have a major problem with his anti-trans rhetoric. When it comes to transgender human rights issues,.many trans folks see no difference between Pope Frank and his predecessor.

We trans peeps haven't been feeling the love from the Roman Catholic Church since 2003, when Paul McHugh successfully implanted anti-trans dogma into the Vatican, and that anti-trans hate has spread to the flock.

It's difficult to nearly impossible to feel warm and fuzzy about someone who has publicly compared your very existence to nuclear weapons. and has done little to reverse or cease and desist with the anti-trans dogma contaminating the Roman Catholic church conversations about trans people since 2003.

It's even more problematic for me because I am a Christian.

Y'all and the media may consider him 'the people's Pope', but it's obvious from the Roman Catholic Church perspective that trans people aren't included in being considered people. I'm finding something else to watch because the all pope at the time saturation news coverage is irritating me.

The anti-trans hatred preached from Catholic pulpits and uttered by Pope Benedict, Pope Francis and other Catholic leaders from the Vatican to the local parish I believe is a factor in why trans murders in Brazil, Central America and much of Latin America have exponentially increased.

And I hope the trans folks who get to meet him at the White House convey to Pope Francis and others in that room just how pissed off we trans folks worldwide are about those comments and how they contribute to anti-trans hatred and violence not only here in the US but around the world.

The rest of y'all can go swoon over Pope Francis and succumb to Popemania. Because frankly, I'm not feeling him,

"As a transgender person of color, as an immigrant who grew up poor in a tiny little alley in the Philippines, and here I am in New York City doing the biggest fashion show... for a young trans person to see that, it changes that person's life.. To finally see that it's possible for a young trans person to pursue his or her dream to be the person whoever that you want to be." --Geena Rocero

Even if that dream is to strut a catwalk during New York Fashion Week
We had a few trans models representing our community during the recently concluded New York Fashion Week, and I couldn't be prouder of all of them that did so and worked hard during that September 12-17 period. And even better, I'm proud to call some of those amazing people my friends.

It was cool to see Isis King, Geena Rocero, Ines-Loan Rau, Arisce Wanzer and others strutting catwalks in the various shows during NYFW while others were in the audience cheering them on. They are heirs to an incredible legacy of trans women from around the world who have been walking fashion runways since April Ashley did so in the early 60's. And with Apple Model Management opening up and specifically being focused on trans models, it is a major step forward in ensuring that trans models aren't just the latest fashion trend or flavor of the season, but an accepted part of the fashion world.

That long stylish line of trans models continues into the 21st century, and some have become advocates and leaders in our community when they aren't doing their day job.

By doing so, they are also doing their part to expand the horizons, serving as possibility models, and slaying stereotypes in addition to continuing the long and proud legacy of trans models.

Just in case some of you Houston LGBT peeps wish to disregard what I and the Houston Black LGBT community are saying regarding our concerns about how the fight to keep HERO is going, I would remind you about what happened when Pride Houston made the mistake of ignoring us when we told them they had a potential political problem brewing over the boneheaded move of Pride to Juneteenth, and the wise play would be to move it back to it's traditional last weekend in June date..

And we remember how that turned out. They arrogantly ignored us, and paid for their lack of vision. Note that the Pride Parade was moved back to its traditional date, but only after the media firestorm we predicted would happen transpired.

So once again, you may wish to listen to what we Houston Black SGL peeps have to say, because the stakes are far higher in terms of whether or not we keep a human rights ordinance that covers the entire city.

The Battle to Keep HERO will be decided in the 'hood, not outside of it. If Houston Unites believes otherwise, they are making a serious mistake that will cost them this election.

Here's a FB commentary from SGL community ally Tarah Taylor, who is concerned about how this HERO fight is transpiring.

So I'm going to go ahead and say what everybody's whispering about because not saying it does my people a disservice

WE WILL LOSE ON HERO IN NOVEMBER.

Why? Because nonprofit interest groups are choosing to IGNORE the black community - the group that benefits the most from HERO and has the most opposition to the ordinance.The field is wrong, timing is wrong, staff is wrong, marketing is wrong, offense is wrong, defense is wrong.

All who are involved, I love y'all, has nothing to do with you personally but the grant money has you locked into a strategy that WILL NOT WORK and only caters to one marginalized group. And the black community that supports HERO doesn't appreciate your late response to our issues if there is a response at all - hasn't been one yet.

Can we fix it? Yes, but you'll have to make some alliances, hold supporting organizations accountable, cut some turf in black neighborhoods, and knock those doors WITH THE RIGHT messengers IMMEDIATELY!

If y'all are mad about be saying it, imagine how mad I am watching this get thrown together and go down in flames

HERO has volunteers that WANT to canvas the black neighborhoods to talk about racial issues but there's no infrastructure set up for it. Good portion of black voters vote by mail, mail-in ballots go out next week. WTF?

Where's the strategy and field plan for women voters? Veteran voters? DisABLEd voters? Religious voters, business owners... I mean, what are we doing here???

In the words of Dr. Cleo Manago, you cannot talk to black people about a human rights issue using a white LGBT framework.

***

You can either listen to Tarah and make the necessary adjustments or ignore her and suffer the consequences. I would rather us take precautions, do what is necessary to win so that we are celebrating on November 3 and not put the Houston Black LGBT community in the position of saying 'we told you so' as others scratch their heads and ask what happened?

This has too much of a Prop 8 feel to it right now, and I and the Houston Black community that supports HERO is not liking it.

Moving on, we have some interesting news in the fact that HERO Hatin' mayoral candidate Ben Hall has been busted by his GOP friends for his flip flop on HERO and his past support of Democratic candidates. W

What took them so long? And why didn't our side hit 'em with that first?

There's also a Faith Leaders Breakfast For HERO tomorrow at Grace Lutheran Church from 8-10 AM.

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Unfortunately I had to come back to Houston before the White House Bisexual Policy Briefing happened on Monday. but if you weren't aware of it. this is the second annual Bisexual Awareness Week.

It started on Sunday and #biweek is running through September 26. Bisexual Awareness Week is a series of events around the country and online designed for the bi community and its allies to get to know the 'B' in LGBTQ better and realize there is a reason it's in the alphabet soup designation that covers our entire community.

"Despite comprising more than half of the lesbian, gay, and bisexual population, bisexual people are only about one third as likely to be out to their close friends and family," said Heron Greenesmith, LGBT Movement and Policy Analyst at the Movement Advancement Project. "As shown in our new infographic, two-thirds of bisexual people report hearing negative comments at work and bisexual people are more likely to report negative health outcomes."

And FYI, some bi peeps are proud Black folks, too.

It's a natural outgrowth of Celebrate Bisexuality Day, that is celebrated annually on September 23 and was created in 1999 by activists Gigi Raven Wilbur, Wendy Curry and Michael Page as a way to combat the invisibility our bisexual brothers and sisters have to grapple with.

On September 23, 2013 the first ever White House bisexuality issues roundtable was held, and the 2015 roundtable as I mentioned earlier, took place on Monday.

Said BiNet USA president Faith Cheltenham, "In a world increasingly acknowledging the complexity of human sexuality, including bisexuality and sexual fluidity, BiNet USA is thrilled to support a national conversation that accelerates the cultural acceptance of our community," said Faith Cheltenham, President of BiNet USA. "This year's awareness week has garnered unprecedented support from lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) organizations who are committed to amplifying the voices of bisexual people, who are often rendered invisible in the media and public spheres."

Happy Bisexual Awareness Week! Here's hoping that it is one which continues to grow, does its job in ending bisexual media invisibility, educates us about the bisexual community and contributes mightily to the reduction and eventual elimination of the issues that bi people face.

One of the things I'm really getting sick of along with the Black trans community is Black cis folks acting like we Black trans folks don't exist. The latest to fall into this trap is rapper Waka Flocka Flame, who opened mouth and inserted foot in it while on the syndicated The Breakfast Club radio show in New York on Friday

He went on a rant during the interview attacking Caitlyn Jenner as an 'affront to God' and then kept going to attack the entire trans community.

The transphobic comments start at the 9:15 mark

'Transgenders, they're marketing evil, man" he said on air before he went on to accuse the trans community of 'doing the devil's work' and as a test of society that we needed to 'outbeat'.

Back in the day there were church folk that claimed (and still do) that rap music was 'marketing evil'. If you're so concerned about the culture. then you and your fellow rappers as people who have negatively contributed to the culture you decry need to stop disrespecting women in your alleged recordings and go back to producing rap music that uplifts the community.

Not gonna hold my breath that will happen anytime soon.

And speaking of 'rebellions against God', by you having tattoos and long braided hair, you are hypocritically doing the same thing you falsely accused trans people of.

And before you start trying to Bible beat trans folks, I suggest you read Matthew 19;12, Acts 8:26-40, Isaiah 56:5 and Galatians 3:28 for starters.

Comments like yours also amp up the anti-trans hate in the Black community that lead to anti-trans violence and murder of our people. Of the 20 trans people that have been murdered this year, 14 have been Black, and 10 of those murders were trans women under age 40.

By the way, Waka Flocka Fool, in case you didn't know it, and based on that radio interview you don't, there are millions of transpeople around the world not named Caitlyn Jenner, and surprise surprise, some of them are Black.

We did not lose our Black cards when we transitioned, and many of those Black trans folks are doing amazing things and have been part of the kente cloth fabric of our community for over a century. In addition to New York Times best selling authors, Emmy Award nominated actresses, and a GLAAD award nominated blogger, we have doctors, lawyers, college professors, athletes, models, classically trained singers, soldiers and parents raising kids in our ranks.

All we want to do is live our lives to the best of our ability and contribute our talents to uplifting the Black community without drama. But far too many of you are bringing the faux faith based negativity and drama to us instead of hitting Google and educating yourselves about our lives.

If you make negative transphobic comments on a 100,000 watt radio station, we trans people who are negatively impacted by those comments have no other choice but to infer about you based on those comments that you are a transphobic idiot.

You cannot claim Waka Flocka Flame you have 'nothing against transgender people' after you spew transphobic comments in a Friday radio interview and then say you stand by those comments.

I'm not a fan of judgmental rappers who seem to think they know more about trans lives than the folks who actually live them and the scientists who have done decades of research about them. We trans folks are superheroes and supersheroes just for getting up in the morning and living our lives to the best of our ability in a world that irrationally hates on us.

And Waka Flocka Flame, giving a half-assed non apology apology doesn't erase the real damage those The Breakfast Club comments unleashed to the psyche of a child or person in our community struggling with gender identity issues.

Hate thoughts + hate speech = hate violence, and those comments can lead to a trans kid being bullied at school, suicide or to a trans adult who has to deal with the real threat of anti-trans violence fueled by the anti-trans hate speech of you and your buddies in the rap world. .

I am what God made me, an unapologetically Black trans woman, proud of being both Black and trans. If you don't like that, tough. I don't give a rat's anus whether you do or not. But what I will not stand for as a longtime advocate for the human rights of trans people for nearly two decades is you and other misguided Black people demonizing the trans community, and by extension, African descended trans people without calling your behind out on it because our Black trans lives matter too.

#WeExist, and it's because of unnecessary transphobic comments like yours that our lives are a struggle.

So Waka Flocka Flame, shut the fucka uppa and have several sections of seats at Madison Square Garden when you do so.

You TransGriot readers know how much I love one of my fave couples in Precious Davis and Myles Brady, and it's looking more likely I'll be bouncing up to Chicago for Creating Change 2016 when it kicks off in January at the Hilton Chicago.

Precious is one of the four co-chairs for #CC16, and looking forward to seeing her and the rest of our Chicago fam January 20-24

Our community nickname for our fave trans couple is the 'Trans Obamas', and during the LGBT Pride Reception at the White House back in June they finally got to meet the POTUS they are nicknamed after. If you were watching this year's VMA's they were onstage presenting an award during that event, in addition to being the MC's for this year's Trans 100 event.

And coming soon is the January 2016 Say Yes To The Dress episode featuring Precious. When it airs she will become the first trans feminine woman ever featured on the show.

So yeah, they get around. And I'm bursting at the seams proud of them. They are a living example of what I am talking about when I say that Black trans people are part of the kente cloth fabric of our community.

Precious and Myles are not only role modeling what a trans couple in love looks like, they are by doing so committing a revolutionary act while doing so. It's even more important Precious and Myles are open and visible about that when we have elements of our own Black community trying to erase our Blackness and our humanity as trans people.

Due to my housing drama that blew up in mid to late June and July, I missed some of these trans themed stories that occurred during that time period.

One of the stories that had a happy ending was of South Carolina trans teen Chase Culpepper. You'll recall that Culpepper ran into a transphobic DMV employee in the Anderson. SC office that forced her to take off the makeup she was wearing for her license photo back in March 2014.

She won a federal lawsuit that not only allowed her to take that license photo that more accurately reflects who she is, but changed DMV policy.

Culpepper also received an apology from the South Carolina DMV for the unnecessary transphobic drama they took her through.

She finally got the opportunity to take that correct license photo, and WYFF-TV news cameras were there to watch what transpired.

Happy for Chase. It's also an example of our trans younglings showing us trans elders by example that they are not only won't back down in the face of transphobic discrimination, but will fight it tooth and nail.

While as you readers know I was in Washington DC at the same time this speech happened on Saturday, at $700 a plate that CBC black tie Phoenix Awards dinner was way beyond my tight budget to attend. But one of the reasons OUT on the Hill is held at that time of year inside the beltway is to give attendees traveling to DC for OOTH the option of attending the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation - Annual Legislative Conference.

I'm seriously thinking about if I' blessed to attend #OOTH 2016, showing up at CBCF-ALC panels next year and asking questions during the ones I attend that remind the Black peeps in that room that some Black people are trans, bi and SGL.

We need to do more of that to remind out own people that #WeExist,

Moving on.

This is the speech that President Obama gave to the folks who attended this year's 45th annual Phoenix Awards dinner.

Monday, September 21, 2015

During his weekly Friday press conference, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest called out Donald Trump and the entire Republican party for their racism.

One of Trump's supporters at a recent rally trotted out the old 'President Obama is a Muslim' spin line, and Trump condoned it instead of doing what Sen. John McCain did in 2008 and repudiating that supporter.

There's no doubt that President Obama in the 'fourth quarter' of his presidency, has or is giving zero phucks about the GOP fee fees, and is calling them out on their bull feces

Earnest went there in linking Trump's statements to the GOP's long, reprehensible history of race baiting

“Now what is also unfortunate is that Mr. Trump isn’t the first Republican politician to countenance these kinds of views in order to win votes. In fact, that is precisely what every Republican presidential candidate is doing when they decline to denounce Mr. Trump’s cynical strategy, because they are looking for those same votes.

Now other Republicans have successfully used this strategy as well. You will recall that one Republican congressman told a reporter that he was David Duke without the baggage. That congressman was elected by a majority of his colleagues in the House of Representatives to the third highest-ranking position in the House. Those same members of Congress blocked immigration reform. Those same members of Congress oppose reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act. Those same members of Congress couldn’t support a simple funding bill because they are eager to defend the confederate flag.

So those are the priorities of today’s Republican Party. And they will continue to be until someone in the Republican Party decides to summon the courage to stand up and change it.”

While I was in our nation's capital handling some OUT on the Hill conference business, the sold out 23rd annual Houston Transgender Unity Banquet was transpiring at the Sheraton Brookhollow with this year's keynote speaker being Kate Bornstein

And yeah, was nice to hear I was missed.

The Unity Banquet supports not only the Transgender Foundation of America (TFA), but the Peggy Rudd Scholarship, and trans activities during Houston Pride.

The Houston Trans Community Awards are also given out in various categories, and in case you're curious, while I was nominated for the Dee McKellar in 2001, I have yet to win any award at this event. .

The Houston Unity Banquet started out as a way for the then four trans groups in town representing different parts of the trans umbrella to work on a collaborative project that would ensure communication, cohesiveness between the groups, and continues to serve that important role over two decades later.

It's also an opportunity to produce a fun, trans oriented Houston event besides TDOR that our allies can enthusiastically support.

I was happy to find out that Josephine Tittsworth, who I've known for over a decade, was honored with a lifetime achievement award. There was also a little Houston trans history made when my roomie Dee Dee Watters was honored with the Dee McKellar Award,

I'll have to confirm it, but by winning the Dee McKellar, Dee Dee became the first local African-American trans person to win an award at this event, and have a feeling she won't be the last.

I was also happy to discover that Fran Watson, one of our community's staunch allies, also received the Champion Award at this year's Unity Banquet as well.

Glad to hear that this edition of the Houston Transgender Unity Banquet was a success, and hope that next year's event is even bigger and better.

'Black ministers in Houston have been particularly outspoken against the ordinance, and, by all accounts, they've been highly effective. Their parishioners and congregants need to show a little independence. They need to read the ordinance themselves, consider the experience of other cities and apply a little common sense to the issue.'-Houston Chronicle, 'Time to be HERO-ic' , September 20, 2015

While I was in Washington DC for the National Black Justice Coalition's just concluded OUT on the Hill Black LGBTQ/SGL Leadership Summit, one of the questions I and my fellow Houstonians attending the conference frequently had to answer while I was inside I-495 was 'What's going on with the HERO?

And what was my answer to the inside the Beltway folks and other Black LGBT peeps like me about it? "It's 50-50 whether we keep HERO or it gets repealed"

As many people I've talked to about the Houston Unites campaign know, I haven't been happy about the way this has been run since the opening August press conference. One of the communities that will be critical in determining whether the HERO lives as it should or dies will be the Houston Black community.

My problem with Houston Unites not only is the lack of will to utterly destroy the trans predator myth, but the problematic lack of consistent pushback in the Houston Black community in the face of negative anti-HERO ads aimed at the Black community being played unchecked on Majic 102 and Ben Hall owned KCOH.

I also have a problem with the failure so far to go on offense concerning the opposition lies that a HERO that covers 15 categories is a 'LGBT ordinance', Federal law already covers everyone and HERO isn't necessary (no it doesn't) and we need to repeal it so we can 'rewrite it to cover everyone'.

I have also been scratching my head at the ongoing human rights malpractice as to why Houston Unites hasn't pointed out the consequences of what WILL happen to Houston economically if Prop 1 isn't approved.

Note to the HERO haters. The ordinance already covers every Houstonian, and you need to stop telling the lie that it doesn't Why shouldn't we have a local, non expensive alternative to combating local discrimination besides filing an expensive federal lawsuit?
Houston Unites needs to be bolder and as relentless in taking the message to Black media outlets and the Houston Black community that HERO protects us from local discrimination as our opponents have been since last year in aggressively demonizing the Houston trans community and putting out disinformation about the ordinance.

It's way past time to rebuke these Houston pastors who repeatedly violate the Ninth Commandment. You do not have to be nice and 'take the high road' against an opponent who wants to oppress you. doesn't care about facts, and is willing to throw their own human rights and the human rights of an entire city under the bus just to get a win and as a bonus for them, satisfy their irrational faux faith based hatred of the Houston LGBT community at the same time.
Neither can it all be on the Houston Black community to find out on their own that some of their ministers are lying to them. That strategy ain't working. Houston Unites is going to need to spend some money NOW just like you're doing for other Houston demographic communities on ramped up media and canvassing efforts targeted specifically to council districts Districts B, D and J for starters.

You're welcome.

The situation also can't continue of the Houston Black LGBT community going it alone on our underfunded education efforts. We could use some money and air time to get our message out there to our people.

I and other Houston Black LGBT people who busted our azzes to pass this much needed ordinance are NOT happy about the silence of the local NAACP, Houston area Black politicians. and the local Urban League chapter for starters to get behind Proposition 1, It would also be nice and deeply appreciated if Houston Unites hires folks from the demonized Houston Black LGBT community to talk to our community as only we can to blow up those lies.
Houston Unites, it's past time for you to be HERO-ic too. If you want to win on November 3, you'll do that ASAP.

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About The TransGriot

Monica Roberts, AKA the TransGriot (Gree-oh) is a native Houstonian, GLAAD award nominated blogger, writer, and award winning trans human rights advocate. She's the founding editor of TransGriot, and her writing has appeared at the Bilerico Project, Ebony.com, The Huffington Post and the Advocate.
She works to foster understanding and acceptance of trans people inside and outside communities of color and was recently honored with the Virginia Prince Transgender Pioneer Award

TransGriot Blog Mission Statement

The TransGriot blog's mission is to become the griot of our community. I will introduce you to and talk about your African descended trans brothers and trans sisters across the Diaspora, reclaim and document our chocolate flavored trans history, speak truth to power, comment on the things that impact our trans community from an Afrocentric perspective and enlighten you about the general things that go on around me and in the communities that I am a member of.

--Mission Statement compiled January 2, 2011

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